Wednesday

Fairy Dust by Alexis S (permission was given to use her name)

MB and DB had planned a weekend trip away. They were to leave Friday night and return Monday afternoon and I was to care for their two daughters (ages 3 and 5) while they were away.My regular hours were Monday-Thursday 7am-5pmFor this trip I was to start work at 9:30pm on a Friday night so that they could catch their red eye flight.

The girls were asleep when I arrived to work. And the parents rushed about packing their suitcases and loading them into the town car. They zoomed off to the airport with a wave and a "The petty cash is on the counter in the kitchen." (Usually between $100 to $200 in $20 dollar bills depending on the length of their trip)

I unpacked my overnight bag in the guest room, poked my head into the sleeping 5 yr olds room, and took one last peek at the video monitor that showed their 3 yr old sound asleep in her little bed, before settling in for the night.I awoke, with a start, at 5:45 am, to the sound of crying.My eyes darted to the video monitor. But the little girl in the tiny bed lay still and silent on the screen.I then realized it was their older daughter who was up crying.I jumped out of bed thinking, perhaps she had awoken to her parent's empty bed and had forgotten that they were away and that I was there.I rushed down the hallway to the 5 yr olds bedroom.She sat in her bed, fists clenched tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"I am here "5 yr old" it's okay. Remember, we talked about this on Thursday. Mommy and daddy are going to "vacation place" for a couple days, but they will be back Monday. And I get to stay here with you and take care of you." I said softly, trying to comfort her.

She looked up at me, eyes red and swollen, and said, "She didn't come."

I then realized what had happened-5 yr old had had her first loose tooth that past week and sometime the day before (my day off) the tooth had fallen out. And MB and DB had failed to tell me.

"Why didn't she come?" 5 yr old asked with a sniffle, opening her clenched fist to reveal her tiny baby tooth in the palm of her hand.

Thinking quickly I replied," Oh! I see the problem. Look at your tooth. It has blood on it. The tooth fairy doesn't want bloody teeth. She wants pearly white, healthy teeth. We need to brush that tooth. And if we make it nice and clean she will probably come back tonight and take it and maybe leave a treat for you under your pillow."

5 yr old wiped her nose on her sleeve, stood up, walked into the bathroom, and began vigorously brushing her baby tooth.

I sat on her bed and stewed...Why didn't they tell me?!

She returned from the bathroom and held up her tooth in her finger tips.

"Wow! So clean and shiny! The tooth fairy is definitely going to want that tooth!" I said

She smiled, revealing an empty space in her bottom row of teeth.

"Did your tooth fall out at school? Do your friends know?" I asked (thinking in the back of my mind, perhaps MB and DB didn't know.)

"No, it fell out at dinner. And daddy said I was super brave because I didn't even cry."

Of course, the tooth fairy did come the next night, taking the tooth and leaving a bit of fairy dust (a bit of silver glitter) and a dollar coin. Making everything all better.

Upon their return, I informed MB and DB ofthe happenings on that first morning. And what had happened following the occurrence. They each responded by saying, they had thought the other parent had told me about the lost tooth.And that they had left a 10 dollar bill with the petty cash on counter to be used for the occasion.

"Daddy, mommy! The tooth fairy came! But she didn't come the first night because my tooth was all bloody. But then she came the next night and she left me a golden coin and there was fairy dust too!" 5 yr old sung sweetly into the air.

" Fairy dust under the pillow. Hmmm...I wonder if the tooth fairy does that EVERY time a tooth is lost?" DB inquired out loud.

Have your employers ever failed to communicate important information to you making your job all the more challenging?

I'm torn between loving to hear about such a great nanny moment and being REALLY taken aback at your tone. Really? You stewed over the fact that the parents "failed to communicate important information to you, making your job all the more challenging?" Seems like a huge overreaction. As a nanny I wouldn't even think to get annoyed at this... it's a two - minute fix, you're a hero to mom and dad, and special moments such as these are what make my job worth it, imho.

I love the idea of silver glitter... I've heard of smearing a tiny smidgen of glue across the $1 bill and sprinkling it with glitter, too.

I honestly didn't read the post this way at all. The only mention of OP being upset was the word "stewed". I took that as OP being annoyed her employers forgot to relay information. I don't feel it was worded in a overly dramatic way. I would be annoyed too if I was woken that early by a devastated child. Not the biggest deal, for sure, but it's also okay to admit it was frustrating.

Same for the last bit. The employers did fail to communicate information. And it did make the job more challenging, even if just a bit.

I love the neat idea you came up with. You did your job, you made the little girl happy, she still believes in the Tooth Fairy and Pixie Dust Too! You are creative and awesome! Keep up the good work! Too bad Anonymous can't see a wonderful thing when it happens! Must suck living in the Land of Negativity!

Thanks! I though so :)Totally! 50 cents or a dollar! Doesn't 10$ seem rediculous! The tooth fairy doesn't leave you 10$ she leaves glitter and a golden dollar coin! Lol whatevs!Your family is lucky to have a nanny with patience and good communicative skills!

Maybe the word stewed was a bit strong for you.I was really ticked to be woken up at 5 in the morning by something that could have totally been avoided. Also there are many more incidents of MB and DB and their lack of good communication that this story does not portray...Your family is really lucky to have you. You make yourself sound like a very patient person. Glue in the dollar with the glitter! Love that!

Well, I'm not sure I'm a very patient person, but I definitely don't sweat the small stuff lol. And I guess I always assume I'll be up at some ridiculous hour when I do overnighter - I swear the kids think it's their job to keep me from sleeping lol.

Not as a nanny but my oldest nephews mom/dad forgot to leave money. When he woke up and found no money we 'helped' him find it. He wiggles so much at night it was easy for it to be found at the foot of the bed. All 4 of my sisters kids fall asleep with their head at one end of the bed and wake up with their head on the other side. Come to think of it so do I lol. Not when sharing a bed but one night I saw my neice turn like a clock in her bed while she was fast asleep.

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